Washing-machine dolly.



J. D A. JOHNSON. WASHING MACHINE DOLLY.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. '1, 191a.

Patented July 21, 1914-,

II III] UNITED STATES PATENT orrion JOHN D. A. JOHNSON, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

WASHING-MACHINE DOLLY.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN D. A. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in thecounty of Douglas and State of Nebraska, haveinvented certain 'newand useful Improvements in VVashing-Ma'chine Dollies, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to a washing machine dolly, and has for its obj ectto provide an article of this class which will consist of few and simple parts so that itmay be economically manufactured, may be conveniently mounted upon the stirring-shaft or removed therefrom, and will provide a strong construction to support the stresses occasioned by the resistance of the water or other contents of the tub at the time the vshaft is moved.

may obviously be applied to a churn or simi-,

lar article which-employs a stirring-shaft having a reciprocatory rotary movement.

In connection with washing machines, it will be understood that a stirring-shaft is now quite generally used and is disposed dependingly and vertically in the tub, and is caused to have a rotary reciprocation, a dolly at the lower end of the shaft being depended upon to agitate the water and to move the clothes, said dolly having horizontal swinging'movements corresponding to the movements of the shaft. Since the resistance of the contents of the tub to the movements of the dolly is so' great, the parts providingfor the mounting of the dolly upon the shaft often become broken, unless constructed wholly of metal. By use of the novel fea-.

tures of construction as herein described, the principal parts of the dolly may be constructed of wood, if desired, and radially disposed blades or wings of unusual width may be employed without liability of breakage, and comparatively wide blades are more effective for the purposes required.

With the foregoing objects in View and others to be mentioned, the invention presents a novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as described herein and claimed, and as illustrated in the drawing, it being understood that changes in form, size, proportion and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented July 21, 1914.

Application filed January 7, 1913. Serial No. 740,597.

In the accompanying drawing, Figurelis a plan view of the dolly, the vertical op-- erating or stirring-shaft being in section. Fig. 2' is a perspective view of the same, the vertical shaft and detent plate being removed. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the sleeve. Fig. 4 is a view, in longitudinal section, of the sleeve. Fig. 5 is a vertical, side view of the dolly, parts being in section and one of the wings or blades being removed.

Referring now to the drawing for a more particular description, the dolly 6 consists,

in part, of the radially disposed blades or wings 7, preferably having an ample width, said-dolly being traversed at its longitudinal axis or at the junction of thewings by; the sleeve 8, said sleeve being formed, at

one of its terminals, with adjacent, transverse projections 10, its aperture 9 being noncircular. I

At 11 isvindicated the operating or stirring-shaft of the machine, its lower end a being formed non-circular in cross-section, and adapted to fit loosely within the sleeve, said portion at having a less length than that of the sleeve.

Since the rotary movements of shaft 11, first in one and then in a reverse direction, will cause the sleeve to have corresponding movements, certain devices are employed for rigidly connecting the sleeve to the dolly, these devices being particularly adapted to sustain the stresses referred to and tendingto prevent breakage of parts. At 12 are-indicated screw-bolts, holdingrods or keepers, one of these members, preferably, being provided for and traversing each wing. Traversed by each bolt 12, and

supported thereby is a buffer-plate 13. Since the dolly may have limited movements longitudinally of shaft 11, so that the angular portion a of the shaft, during operation, may be disposed in either the upper or lower part of the sleeve, plate 13, disposed uoon the lower end of the dolly, will operate as a buffer or stop, to limit one of said. longitudinal movements.

At 14 is indicated a stop or detent plate. It is apertured at 72, substantially at its middle, so that it may be disposed to circumscribe shaft 11, and it is traversed by bolts 12; and since these bolts are secured by screw-nuts 15, members 13 and 14 are firmly mounted upon and limit themovements of the dolly, longitudinally of the shaft. Since one of bolts 12 is disposed between projections 10" of the sleeve, said sleeveis locked or sustained in rigid relation with reference to the dolly, so that said dolly Will have swinging movements corresponding to the movements of the sleeve,this mounting for the sleeve being important, since the stresses occasioned by the reversely directed movements of the shaft ordinarily cause the parts to either break or to become detached from the dolly. 7

It will be noted by reference to Fig. 1 that While plate 14 has an aperture 5 corresponding to the form, in cross-section, of the lower portion (z of shaft 11, said plate is so disposed when mountec'i upon bolts 12 that the Walls 0 forming its aperture Z) are disposed in angular relation to the Walls of said portion (L. This construction rovides for a convenient assembling of the parts. (in account of this construction, plate 14; may be readilv disposed to circumscriloe that part of the shaft inwardly of portion a, plate lei being then moved or rotated e5 degrees before it is mounted upon bolts 12, said plate 1% thereafter operating as a stop or detent to limit one of the sliding movements of the dolly upon the shaft.

Among some of the advantages to be derived by use of the herein described dolly, it may be stated that it may be economically and convenientlv manufactured. The parts may be conveniently assembled, and regardless of the fact that the blades or Wings may have an unusual width, an adequate sup port is provided for sustaining the stresses imposed by the movements of the shaft, so that durability may be attained.

Having fully described my invention,

what'l' claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. In combination with the agitator shaft of a Washing machine, a dolly comprising radially disposed Wings, abutting at their inner ends, and a sleeve formed with a rec said Wings and thence through said butter plate, thereby binding said detent plate, said Wings and said butter plate rigidly together, said Wings carrying dependent fingers adj acent their outer ends.

2. In combination with the agitator shaft" of a *ashing machine, a dolly comprising radially disposed Wings abutting at their inner ends, and a sleeve formed with a rectangular opening therein for receiving said agitator shaft said sleeve being disposed at the juncture or the inner ends of said Wings and provided at one of its ends with a transverse plate adapted to lie on the upper edge of one of said Wings, said plate having its outer end apertured to receive a bolt passing into one oi said Wings and thereby binding the sleeve and Wing rigidly together.

In testimony whereof I have atlixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN D. A. JOHNSON.

\Vitnesses:

HIRAM A. S'rURoEs, ELMER N. JOHNSON Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

